I am master of this realm,
the grass is my royal guard,
the sal trees are my sentinels,
my stripes are my regalia,
with tooth and claw.
Langurs and peacocks I loathe,
but chital are always my servants
from dawn to dusk.
They serve all the great hunters.
So do the sambar, the boar
and the Barasingha.
This is my domain,
my forest,
my kingdom.
So long as I remain
its guardian ghost
all creatures large and small
shall heed my morning call.
The Tiger Poet
(This poem was written at Siginawa Jungle Lodge at Kanha National Park in India. The name Singinawa means "Protector of the Sacred Forest".)
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